Students will: 1.) examine the Hindu tradition of threshold art; 2.) discuss how Indian values are expressed in the ephemeral art of threshold painting; 3.) draw traditional connect-the-dots threshold art designs; 4.) make colored rice flour and create an auspicious floor painting
Materials: Rice flour (denser than wheat flour; sold at Indian food markets), food dye, zip lock bags, cups, large sheets of brown butcher paper, water; Map of India (see above); Artworks: photos of Indian threshold floor and wall paintings (see suggested resources below); Worksheets: Threshold Art: Connect the Dot Designs and Template of Dots: Four Points Forming a Rhomboid; Video: Rangoli
Throughout the subcontinent of India, women of all ages, castes, and professions, perform the traditional art of threshold painting. It is known as muggu in Andhra Pradesh; rangoli in Maharashtra and Gujarat; chowk purana in Uttar Pradesh; mandana in Rajasthan; alpana in Bengal; chita in Orissa; and kolam in Tamil Nadu. Although the styles of design and frequency with which it is painted vary from region to region, the symbolic meaning of this art form is the same: it links Hindu women to the goddess Lakshmi whom they invite to depart her heavenly abode and rest momentarily at their thresholds upon an intricate rice flour diagram. In this manner, the Goddess brings good fortune, enveloping the home in an auspicious sphere of protection.
- Locate India on a map.
- Explain to students that India is geographically and culturally diverse; each region exemplifying its own unique set of styles and customs. Have students perform research on the Hindu belief system.
- Discuss how the gods are honored through acts of devotion. Examine how Hindu worship is experiential: the practitioner uses touch, chants, incense, vibrant colors, and movement to invoke the gods.
- Show video: Rangoli. Describe the tradition of threshold painting and ask students to analyze how Indian values are expressed in this ephemeral medium. Ask students, “Why are threshold paintings made if the artists know they will be erased soon after?” and “How is this act of devotion different or similar to other religions?”
- Show students examples of threshold designs. Explain to students that in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat (located on the western coast of India) threshold art is called rangoli and is created with vibrant colored powders. This is in contrast to other states such as Tamil Nadu where white rice flour is the primary medium; colored powders being used only on special occasions such as festivals. Traditionally, rangoli was made by coloring rice flour with vegetable dye. Today, women use commercially made powders. Explain that threshold art designs are based on a grid of dots. These guide the composition so that it is balanced and symmetrical.
Drawing Rangoli Design
- Give students the worksheets: Threshold Art: Connect the Dot Designs and Template of Dots: Four Points Forming a Rhomboid.
- Start by drawing a basic six pointed star (a symbol of the Goddess Lakshmi). Next, incorporate curving lines, repetitive shapes, and borders.
- Lastly, experiment drawing abstract and representational subject matter such as animals, flowers, figures, and architectural structures.
Making Rangoli Colored Flour
- Scoop one half cup of rice flour and pour it into a zip-lock bag.
- In another cup, mix two tablespoons of water with a drop of food dye (your color of choice).
- Pour the mixture into the flour-filled bag, zip it up, and shake!
- Add more dye with water for a deeper hue.
- Use a different zip-lock bag for each color to be used in the design.
- Using pencil, draw a grid of dots on a large sheet of brown butcher paper. *Tip: the larger the area, the easier it is to “paint” using rice flour.
- Take a pinch of colored flour and begin painting by moving the thumb downward against the index and middle finger. Create a vibrant design by filling in the shapes with a range of colors.
- At the end of the class session, fold the butcher paper and pour the colored flour back into the zip lock bags to be used again during the next session.